danmachifandomcom-20200223-history
The Ash Covered Girl
The Ash Covered Girl (灰被りの少女) is a special story included in the DanMachi BD Volume 3 booklet. Summary Lili was born fifteen years ago at the time when the Zeus Familia failed to defeat the One Eyed Black Dragon. The order within Orario declined due to the weakening of the Zeus Familia, giving rise to Evilus. During this time, the Freya Familia and the Loki Familia drove them out to become the new hope of Orario. At the age of three, Lili learned how to beg. Her parents ordered her to stand all day and beg for money from passing people. They had been touched by the power of the Soma and did anything they could to taste it again. A while later, Lili learned that her parents had died in the dungeon. She was too young to know what sadness was but she knew that she was now alone. One day, while looking for food, Lili met Soma in a hallway within the Soma Familia home. She felt her status throb, causing her to hide around the corner. At the same time, her stomach sounded and Soma gave her a Jagamarukun. He then entered his room with Lili following behind. Soma gave the rest of the Jagamarukun except for one for himself and began working on the plants. Hearing the sound of the plants, Lili fell asleep, feeling Soma carry her to her bed. That was the first time Lili felt kindness and last time she felt Soma's warmth. When she became six, while spending every day going to Soma's room, Zanis had all Familia members assemble. Zanis declared that as the new captain, he would lead the Soma Familia instead of Soma. Some members muttered that he murdered the captain candidate to attain that position. Zanis snapped his fingers and a cup of Soma was handed to every Familia member present. He claimed that it was a gift from Soma but they knew that he stole it from the storehouse. However, they were captivated by its scent, their mouths moving to the edge of the cup. As Lili drank the Soma, she lost all sense of reason. From that moment on, Lili no longer visited Soma's room, instead heading to the dungeon to gather money so that she could drink the Soma again. She didn't realize that Soma looked down at her from above with a look of disappointment and despair at her becoming one that desperately wanted the Soma. Soma lost interest in his Familia after they all fell under Zanis' control due to the Soma. The Familia essentially became something to provide for Zanis' wants though the Familia members were too influenced by the Soma to realize that. Lili tried her best as an adventurer, though eventually her limit came, forcing her to become a supporter instead. As a supporter, adventurers abused her. Even though her share was less than normal, adventurers blamed her for mistakes she never made and forced her to work for free, once even taking weapons and potions that she used for herself. One time at a bar, as she begged for her share, an adventurer kicked her then threw her a piece of chicken with barely anything left, laughing with his companions as she ate it. She cried every day at the treatment she received as the Soma's influence over her disappeared around the same time. Other members within the Soma Familia started to take money from her. Lili even forgot her memories of the time she spent with Soma. One day, she decided to run away from the Soma Familia, living and working at a flower shop owned by an elderly couple. However, some members of the Soma Familia tracked her down, wrecking the flower shop, beat the husband, and stole any money within the store. The couple rejected Lili, telling her that they wished they had never met her. Following this incident, something within her broke, and from that day on the light in her eyes began to die. Lili continued to be a supporter, acting as the adventurers' obedient puppet. Around the same time, she began stealing from others, no longer able to believe in justice. The others began taking money from her even more. One day, Canoe stole from Lili, complaining about the little amount she had on her. Zanis watched from the side but didn't try to help. Instead, he bent down and asked Lili if she was saving up for something as he knew that she hadn't drunk any Soma. Zanis used the Soma every so often to keep the Familia members under its influence though she didn't drink it out of her hate and fear of Soma. She didn't answer him, causing Canoe to kick her to get her to answer. Canoe suggesting selling her to a brothel, however at that moment Chandra appeared and warned them against it. Canoe accused him of protecting Lili but Chandra pointed out that selling someone with a falna from a different Familia to a brothel could be seen as spying, bring the possibility of facing the wrath of the Ishtar Familia. Canoe and his companions faltered yet Zanis continued to look down at her. Zanis agreed with Chandra, deciding to keep Lili so she could serve the Familia. Lili could do nothing except clench her fists, vowing revenge on adventurers. When she became thirteen, she started using Cinder Ella which appeared in her status half a year earlier. Transforming herself into an Elf girl, she stole from adventurers, laughing as she heard their angry voices. While she could've lived a different life using her magic, her thirst for revenge against adventurers refused to let her do that. Ever since then, Lili began stealing from adventurers more frequently. She would lead adventurers into traps within the dungeon, steal anything worth something, then run away as fast as she could. The angry adventurers would run after her, however her magic enabled her to evade them. Lili felt an empty feeling along with her happiness at tricking adventurers though she got rid of those thoughts, reminding herself of the abuse she received over the years. A couple years later, in a room she used, she remembered a story she had read while looking at a mirror. It was the story of an ash covered girl that was transformed into a beautiful woman. The girl then attended the prince's party though she ran when the magic disappeared. However, the prince came to get her, and the two ended up together in a happy life. Lili brushed off her thoughts as foolish. Soon after, Lili set her sights on Bell. She laughed at his reason for protecting her from Ged, deeming his reason of "because she's a girl" as foolish. She could tell that he had recently come to Orario and knew he was too nice for his own good. Lili decided to teach him a lesson with the Hestia Knife as payment. She wanted to make him miserable just like herself, wanting to make sure he never said "because she's a girl" ever again. Filled with those thoughts, she approached Bell for the first time to become his supporter. Characters *Liliruca Arde *Soma *Canoe Belway *Zanis Lustra *Chandra Ihit *Bell Cranel Navigation